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How long does your baby nurse for?

I was just curious how long everyone's little one nurses for. My 5 week old nurses for 5 minutes burp then is content and sleepy. She shows all the signs of being done and my breast feels soft. She has a wet diaper every time we nurse, and stools once a day. If we go 3 hours between feedings it may take a bit longer for her to nurse but only because I get engorged and have to take her off for longer for my let down. Her tummy always looks really round (too round actually) and she passes a lot of gas. She appears to be growing fine, she doesn't get weighted again until 8 weeks. Anyways, I figure it doesn't take her long because she's become more efficient at nursing. I pumped her a bottle a few night ago and got 2 ounces off each breast and she ate it also very fast (and it was a bottle designed for breastfed babies).

Re: How long does your baby nurse for?

Sounds fine to me. I had oversupply the first three months and when a feeding went well, five minutes of gulping could very well be all she needed for a couple of hours. Of course she had terrible gas and reflux partly because of the OALD, so when she would fuss and cry at the end of those five minutes, I thought it meant she was still hungry (recalling the advice they gave at the hospital to aim for 15-20 mins on each side!!). I was so confused and it took me forever to realize that she was just done, and uncomfortable to have gotten so much milk so fast. It's good your LO seems so content after feedings, that actually seems to be rare with OALD!

PS I still have OALD, but not so much oversupply; a good feeding now is closer to ten minutes one side except in the morning where I am fuller and the milk is flowing a lot faster. Just my experience, FYI. Every baby is different and I'm curious to see what the experienced moms/ leaders say.

Re: How long does your baby nurse for?

If you're concerned, you can always get your baby weighed earlier. Many doctors will let you bring the baby in for a mid-visit weight check.

A content baby after nursing is probably full. Nursing 10-12 times in a 24-hour period for as long as the baby wants is typical. Passing a lot of gas is normal if the baby is content. The amount you pump is not necessarily the same amount that your baby gets when nursing.

Re: How long does your baby nurse for?

I am having a similar experience with my four week old. He has started nursing for as few as five minutes each feeding. My milk comes pouring out and I think he gets loaded up pretty quickly, though at times this makes him angry and he chomps on my nipple, pulls away, or screams! I have tried giving him the nipple back once I let some of my milk into a cloth, but often by then he is either sleeping or too fussy and needs some time to chill. I think that if on all other measures they seem to be getting enough milk, like with wet and dirty diapers and weight, then it is okay to nurse for whatever duration the baby dictates. I also have heard that they get better with handling fast flow as they grow and become stronger and more efficient eaters.